Picker-stick retriever for looms



30, 1930. A. D. GARGOLINSKI 'PICKER STICK RETRIEVER FQR LOOMS Filed se t. 12, 1929 f/VVENTUE 3 AN THU/V Y AZEARGUL //\/5/( A TTURNE Y5 Patented Dec. 30 1930 umreo srares Per e. OFFICE;

ANTHONY D. GABGOLIN SKI, OEWORGESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CROMPTON' & KNOWLES LOOM WORKS, OFjWORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, -A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS PICKER-STICK RETBIEVER- FOR. LOOMS Application filed September 12, 1929. Serial No. 392,223.

This invention relates to improvements in picking motions for looms and it is the gen- 7 eral object of the invention to provide a. simple form of retriever which will act to restore 5 the stick to normal position aftera huttle where the picker must be moved out of the path of the drop boxes as they shift. It is an important object of my present invention r to provide an expansible member mounted on the rocking foot and having operative con- Eunection with the picker stick, said member being strained during the normal 'picklng operation and acting thereafter to move the stick outwardly. v

. The usual picking motion employs a lug 325 strap or similar device which is moved'toward or from the pivot of the stick to increase or diminish the sharpness of the picking stroke, and it is a further object of my present invention'to provide means for'mounting the upper end of al'spring to said means, the

mounting having an adjustable connection with the means so that as thelatter is varled the connection may be changed.

' The usual rocking foot has a horizontal slot'along which the stud for the picker stick may be'adjusted and it is a further object of my present invention to provide a spring to be operatively connected to the picker stick.

said'spring havingthe lower end thereof T mounted on a'devlce which is movable along the slot. By this construction the spring and picker stick maybe keptsubstantially parallel if desired, orthe picker stick may be p kept in its proper position and the supporting device forthe spring varied togive a different character of return'movement from that which could be obtained merely by adjusting the connection between the spring and the lug strap holder.

-- I With theseand other objects in View which will appear as the descriptionproceeds, my lnvention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

In, the accompanying drawings wherein a convenient embodiment of my invention is set forth,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a picking motion located at one end of the loom, the picker stick being'shown in normal outward position preparatory to a picking operation,

Fig. 2 is a view similar to a port-ion of the structure shown in Fig. 1 but with the picker stick shown in shuttle propelling position,

Fig.3 is an enlarged end elevation taken in the direction of arrow 3, Fig. 1,

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section on line 4-4 of Fig. 3,'and

Fig.5 is a vertical section on line 5-5 of Fig. '3. Y

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 I have shown a loom frame 10 having pivotally mounted therein a rocker shaft ll'on which is mounted a rocker foot 12.- The latter is heldby means of screw 13. to the rocker shaft in both longitudinal and angular adjustment relatively thereto. The foot is provided with a horizontal slot '14 through which extends a stud 15' on which is pivoted a picker stickj 16. The studis held in position by means of a nut 17 and can be moved along the 'slot 14 towardandfrom the loom frame 10 to vary the arc of movement of the upper end of thepicker stick with respect to theshuttle; I

A picker shaft 18. is pivotally mounted in the, stand 19 securedto the loom frame and shaft 21 ofthe loom has a-picking arm 22 secured thereto on'which is mounted a picking ball 23. The latter moves in a vertical plane so as to engage the shoe 20 to rock] the shaft 18 in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig.1 toefiect' picking of the loom.

' A strap 24 hasa"substantially vertical portion 25which' lies between the picker stick and a. plate 26. the upper end of which is rounded as at 27. A'screw 28 passes through "the right hand 'wall 29 of a lug strap holder 30 shown particularly in Fig.- 4 as formed of 190 has securedther'et'oa shoe 20. The bottom a closed loop of metal. A check nut 31 holds the screw in position. When it is desired to increase or lessen the picking force the screw 28 may be slackened and the holder either moved down or up, as the case may be, after which the tightening of the screw and the nut 31 will retain the holder, the left end of the strap 27, and plate 26 and other parts to be described in the same position with respect'to the picker stick.

The matter thus far described is of common construction and forms no part of my present invention, being the same as that employed in the usual type of fly shuttle loom.

In carrying my present invention into effect, I provide an ear 40 on the holder 30. A screw 41 extends freely through the ear and is held in adjusted position with respect to the latter by means of upper and lower check nuts 42 and 13. A conical collar 44 is mounted on the lower part of the screw and is limited as to downward movement rel atively thereto by means of a head 45.

A spring 46 preferably of the closed coil type has the upper coils threof formed of progressively lessening diameter so as to be conical and conform to the collar 44. The lower end of the spring has an eye 47 which receives a stud 48 extending through the slot 1a and held in retaining position by means of nut 49. A shoulder 50 on the nut engages the rear side of the rocking foot and if desired a lock washer 51 may be employed to hold the nut 49 in position. The eye 47 is received by a groove 52 formed in the stud 48. The shaft 18 has secured thereto and extendingupwardly therefrom an arm to which is secured the right hand end of the flexible strap 24.

Under normal operations, as the picker arm 60 moves to the right, it will draw the strap 24 to the right, thereby rocking the picker stick 16 around its supporting stud 15 to propel the shuttle not shown. The parts are so proportioned that an operation of this kind expands the spring 46 and at the completion of thepicking operation said spring will tend to contract, restoring the picking stick to its normal position shown in Fig. 1. The stud l8 can be moved relatively to the stud 15 to vary the angle at which the spring exerts its force against the picker stick, this adjustment being afforded by moving the studs along the slots 14.

- From the foregoing it will be seen that I have provided a simple picker stick retriever the adjustable portion of which is located at the upper end thereof to be readily accessible to the loom fixer, the amount of expansion of the spring being comparatively little with respect to its length so that there is no opportunity to cause a permanent set in the spring. It will also be seen that the screw adjustment for the upper end of the spring permits a variation in the picking force by adjustment of the strap holder.

Having thus described my invention it will be seen that changes and modifications may be made therein by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention and I do notwish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, but what I claim is:

1. In a picking motion for a loom, a rocker foot having a substantially horizontal slot therein, a picker stick, a support for the picker stick secured to the foot and through the slot and adjustable along the latter, a power member to actuate the picker stick, a resilient element having one end secured to the rocker foot and having the main portion thereof extending substantially parallel to the picker stick, and a common support secured to and movable to different positions along the picker stick for the upper end of the resilient ele* ment and the power member, the resilient element acting in opposition to the power member and returning the picker stick to normal position after a picking stroke.

2. In a picking motion for a loom, a rocker foot having a substantially horizontal slot therein, a picker stick, a support for the picker stick secured to the foot and through the slot and adjustable along the latter, a power member to actuate the picker stick, a resilient element having one end secured to the rocker foot and having the main portion thereof extending substantially parallel to thepicker stick, a common support secured to the picker stick for the upper end of the resilient element and the power member, the resilient element acting in opposition to the power member and returning the picker stick to normal position after a picking stroke, means to vary the position of the holder with respect to the pivot of the picker stick, and additional means to vary the point of contact between said holder and the resilient element.

3. In a picking motion for a loom, a rocker foot having a substantially horizontal slot therein, a picker stick, a support for the picker stick secured to the foot and through the slot andadjustable along the latter, a power member to actuate the picker stick, a holder surrounding and movable to different positions along the picker stick and having provision for clamping the power member to the picker stick, a resilient member having the lower end thereof operatively connected to the rocker foot, and means defining an adjustable connection between the upper end of the resilient member and the holder, said resilient member acting in opposition to the power member and returning the picker stick to normal position at the completion of the picking stroke.

4. In a picking motion for a loom having a picker stick, a supporting element to which the picker stick is pivotally connected, a

power member to give the stick its picking stroke, a retrieving member to return the picker stick to normal position after a pick ing stroke, and a holder device capable of as- ,suming a plurality of positions on-the picker stickand connected to said power member and retriever in any one of its positions and being the a means through which both the power member and retrieverjact on the picker stick.

5. In a picking motion for a loom having a picker stick, a supporting element to which the picker stick is pivotally connected,apower member to give the stick its picking stroke, a retrievingmember to return the picker stick to normal positionafter a picking stroke, and a holder device capable of assuming a plurality of positions on the picker stick and connected to said power member and retriever in any one of its positions and being the means through which both the power member and retriever act on the picker stick, one end of the retriver member being connected to the supporting element.

6. In a picking motion for a loom, a rocking support having a longitudinal slot therein, a picker stick, a pivotal connection for the picker stick extending through the slot and secured to a support, a picker stick actuating device, a picker stick retriever, a common holder secured to the picker stick and movable therealong to assume any one of a plurality of positions, saidholder being connected to the device and the retriever, and the connectionbetween the retriever and the support passing through the slot and movable longitudinally along thelatter, the retriever acting to return the picker stick to normal position by a force transmitted through the holder in any position which the latter may assume.

' In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature.

ANTHONY D. GARGOLINSKI. 

